Posts tagged Agriculture Department
Forest Service offers separation incentives to employees ahead of relocations
June 4, 2026 // Schultz said the reorganization plan would shutter some facilities that have fallen into disrepair, and that it would “facilitate research and researchers over maintaining facilities and facility managers.” The spokesperson said the agency is carrying out it reorganziation to address a $3 billion maintenance backlog for its facilities and a $37 million year-over-year decrease in its budget to maintain those facilities. “We also owe the American people an agency that is effective and respectful of their hard-earned tax dollars, and that’s why we’re choosing to invest in our mission and our people instead of facilities we can’t afford,” the spokesperson said.
Three-quarters of USDA researchers tapped to relocate tell union they’re not going
May 11, 2026 // USDA relocated hundreds of ERS and NIFA positions to Kansas City in 2019, but about 85% of impacted employees quit their jobs or retired, rather than relocate. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403, which represents USDA researchers, expects to see similar results this year. An internal survey conducted by the union found that 76% of its members have indicated they are not planning to relocate. AFGE Local 3403 said in a statement that these relocations, which are expected to go into effect by the end of the summer, will trigger a “brain drain” within the department.
Union warns Trump’s rapid changes for wildland firefighters will be ‘disastrous,’
June 27, 2025 // The Forest Service said no full-time wildland firefighters were removed from their jobs as part of the Trump administration’s workforce reductions. But as wildfire season ramps up, the Forest Service is now asking 1,400 former employees with “red cards” — or those who are qualified wildland firefighters despite it not being their main job title — to come back to their jobs temporarily to help with response needs. In the meantime, NFFE is opening the doors to more feedback from its membership to better understand the pitfalls and the opportunities of consolidating the federal programs.
Court Rules Trump Move Ending Federal Worker Union Contracts Is ‘Unlawful’
April 27, 2025 // While preliminary, the injunction is significant because it could help to maintain worker protections enshrined in the contracts and enable covered workers to file grievances via processes laid out in them. Most of the nation’s more than two million federal employees are represented by unions. The ruling could also lead to the restoration of dues collection from members, which the NTEU says bring in $25 million annually. That is because follow-up guidance on Trump’s original executive order from the Office of Personnel Management stated that agency resources “should not be expended to facilitate payment of union dues.” Labor groups have filed dozens of legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders, which have led to pauses in firings of some federal workers who lost their jobs as part of the administration’s efforts to reduce government bloat.
Employees swarm to second ‘deferred resignation’ offer, though some are receiving unexpected responses
April 15, 2025 // Employees across the department had until April 8 to opt into the program. Widespread layoffs are expected shortly, followed by relocations into new hubs around the country. USDA has implemented a heavy pressure campaign to motivate employees to accept the extended paid leave offer as it seeks to minimize the number of employees it must lay off through reductions in force. Employees received as many as 20 emails from HR, agency leadership and their own supervisors during the week the DRP window was open encouraging them to take advantage of the offer. “We were being peppered like hot wings before grilling,” one employee who received the email barrage said.